Countdown begins for SA’s biggest surfski race

EAST LONDON – The South African ocean paddling community is set to once again make their annual pilgrimage to East London on the weekend of November 2-3 for the Biogen Pete Marlin Surfski Race, the country’s biggest surfski event.

The downwind race off the East London coast has grown to become the biggest event on the South African surfski calendar – and for 2024 it takes on extra significance as it is also the culmination of the inaugural Euro Steel TRPL Crown with the series’ first champions being finalised over the weekend.

The two-day Biogen Pete Marlin Surfski Race has been held since 2008 in honour of Pete Marlin, a popular East London paddler who lost his life in on a KZN river in 1989. Traditionally there is the singles race on the Saturday and doubles event on Sunday, but organisers have the option to swop races in the interest of safety or more favourable downwind conditions.

The 2023 event was designated as the South African championships with Hank McGregor and Kira Bester claiming the titles, and both are expected to return, along with paddlers from the Western Cape, KZN as well as a surprisingly large contingent of inland ocean paddlers from Gauteng, and a group of paddlers from Réunion who are making the trip from the Indian Ocean island for the event.

Race Director, Charl van Wyk, is confident the 2024 event will continue to build on the success of previous years.

“Our aim every year is to make the Biogen Pete Marlin Surfski Race the best downwind paddling event in the country,” said Van Wyk this week. “After the near perfect conditions we have enjoyed in recent years, we once again expect the country’s top elite men and women to plan the trip to the Border region for the Pete Marlin weekend.

“However, this event is also known for its unrivalled Eastern Cape hospitality, and the top paddlers’ entries are far out-weighed by the droves of recreational surfski fanatics who make an annual return for the weekend surfski festival.

“The paddling is the excuse for their trip to the Eastern Cape, but this event is far more than “just” a surfski race, and the atmosphere and vibe throughout the weekend is what keeps drawing more and more paddlers back each year.”

While the event will not be the national championships for 2024, the cream of South African ocean paddling community is expected to take part as they fight for the lucrative inaugural Euro Steel TRPL Crown titles.

The three-race series started in April at the Prescient Freedom Paddle around Robben Island in Cape Town, where McGregor and Josh Fenn won the men’s race and Pippa McGregor and Bester claimed the women’s victory. The second leg of the inaugural series was held in conjunction with the SA Championships in Durban earlier this month with Uli Hart and Michelle Burn taking the honours.

The two sets of results mean’s McGregor holds a 65-second lead over Fenn in the overall series standings while Hart is another 24 seconds further back, and Mark Keeling and Jasper Mocke round out the top five.

In the women’s series, Bester enjoys a two minute lead over Burn, with Saskia Hockly, Georgia Singe and Melanie van Niekerk making up the top five.

CURRENT STANDINGS
EURO STEEL SURFSKI TRPL CROWN
Pos Name (Freedom Paddle, SA Champs) TOTAL
1 Hank McGregor (01:58:14, 01:27:06) 03:25:20
2 Joshua Fenn (01:58:14, 01:28:11) 03:26:25
3 Uli Hart (02:00:56, 01:25:53) 03:26:49
4 Mark Keeling (02:01:42, 01:26:23) 03:28:05
5 Jasper Mocke (02:01:42, 01:28:42) 03:30:24
6 Matthew Coetzer (02:01:29, 01:29:29) 03:30:58
7 Nicholas Notten (02:02:03, 01:28:57) 03:31:00
8 Dawid Mocke (02:10:33, 01:26:55) 03:37:28
9 Ryley Michael Smith (02:06:42, 01:31:34) 03:38:16
10 Wayne Jacobs (02:00:56, 01:38:30) 03:39:26
Women
1 Kira Bester (02:13:43, 01:37:04) 03:50:47
2 Michelle Burn (02:16:28, 01:36:29) 03:52:57
3 Saskia Hockly (02:16:28, 01:41:12) 03:57:40
4 Georgia Singe (02:18:27, 01:40:48) 03:59:15
5 Melanie Van Niekerk (02:19:57, 01:41:50) 04:01:47
6 Jenna Nisbet (02:16:40, 01:47:11) 04:03:51
7 Holly Smith (02:18:27, 01:45:54) 04:04:21
8 Pippa Mcgregor (02:13:43, 01:54:22) 04:08:05

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